Siyapatha Finance kicks off Sri Pada Cleaning Project

Revered as one of the most renowned pilgrimage sites in Sri Lanka for millennia, Sri Pada, Adam’s Peak or ‘Samanala Kanda’ is an ancient, sacred ground enclosing a sacred footprint which is believed to be Lord Buddha’s, Lord Shiva’s or Adam’s. 

Every year, the summit is visited by multitudes of devotees from various faiths and cultures from across the world.
In an effort to find solutions ahead of World Environment Day 2024, Siyapatha Finance PLC, through ‘Siyapathen Mihikathata’ CSR initiative set in motion its first step to conserve this wildlife sanctuary for the generations to come, under the theme of ‘Nemadumen Pasu Amaduma’.

Having obtained special permission from Nuwara Eliya District Secretary Nandana Galaboda, over 50 members of staff as well as the senior management from Siyapatha’s Head Office, together with officials from Central Environmental Authority’s (CEA) Nuwara Eliya Office, joined hands to kick off the Sri Pada Cleaning Project. Siyapatha staff collected close to a ton of plastic, polythene and other waste, which were  then sent for recycling.

Nuwara Eliya District Secretary Nandana Galaboda said, “Collecting the tons of waste material left behind after each pilgrimage season is a tedious task. Prevention is better than cure. We believe it is critical that devotees be acknowledged that refraining from littering is the way to protect Sri Pada.”

Sharing his thoughts on this important step forward, Siyapatha Finance Managing Director Ananda Seneviratne said, “Preserving the sacred site of Sri Pada is not only to preserve our heritage, but also an ecosystem with the highest biodiversity in Sri Lanka. Therefore, it is upon all of us to take charge and be mindful about the great threat it faces due to plastic and polythene littering, and it is time to collectively set an example to only leave our footprints behind.”